Andy K. Leland first came to the world’s attention as one third of Italian/Icelandic alternative rock band My Cruel Goro. Disbanding after just two (excellent) EP releases, the band decided that having members so widespread wasn’t geographically viable and Andy embarked on a solo career. The first fruits of his solo work are minimal. Fans should not expect the full volume Ash-meets-S*M*A*S*H riffage of his previous band. Instead, ‘Happy Daze’ presents Leland with an acoustic guitar and a few microphones in a lo-fi, introspective set up.
Watch ‘Club Hawaii’, a new live video from prog band Aisles
Aisles have been generating excitement among the prog rock community for a few years now, but their current album ‘Hawaii’ has seen the Chilean band gaining more press than ever. Given the level of musicianship and complexities found within the album, it’s hardly surprising.
A world away from the usual Genesis and Yes wannabes, Aisles genuinely absorb all kinds of influences into their work. The album has been promoted through a series of live videos already, but they’ve just unleashed a reasonably lengthy clip for ‘Club Hawaii’, which you can watch in full below.
ASTRAL DRIVE – Astral Drive
A musician, songwriter and producer, Phil Thornalley will be familiar to most for his brief stint with The Cure in 1983. His other credits include production work for Natalie Imbruglia and Bryan Adams. While not one of the music world’s most obvious faces, he’s worked within the industry since the late 70s. Taking the idea to create “a lost seventies classic”, his Astral Drive project is a world away from many of the musicians he’s been associated with previously. The material within is rich and densely layered; a work completely immersed in studio techniques. Its eleven songs draw influence from a lot of great long players released in the decade of brown and orange, and occasionally, influence crosses a line into…loving plagiarism, but the results are guaranteed to thrill fans of the style.
Listen: Yo La Tengo cover Neil Young’s ‘Time Fades Away’
Occasionally, a couple of things will come together to create something classic. This is one of those times.
Just ahead of their US tour which kicks off in New York on June 28th, alternative legends Yo La Tengo have uploaded a new contribution to Spotify’s Singles Series.
The House of Love’s debut to get 5 disc deluxe treatment
Back in 2012, Cherry Red Records issued a lavish 3CD package of The House of Love’s UK debut album.
‘House of Love’, or as it is informally referred ‘The Black Jumpers Album’ turns 30 by the end of June and to celebrate, Cherry Red have dug into the vaults once more to expand the much-loved disc a second time. For the thirtieth anniversary reissue, the album will be released as a fully comprehensive five disc set.